


Our Love Blossoms In The Speakeasy

by Venus_flower



Category: Minecraft (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - 1920s, Drug Use, GeorgeNotFound-centric (Video Blogging RPF), Historical Inaccuracy, Historical References, Homophobia, Internal Conflict, Internalized Homophobia, Libraries, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Period-Typical Homophobia, Recreational Drug Use, dark academia vibe, dreamnotfound
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-04
Updated: 2021-02-05
Packaged: 2021-03-13 16:47:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 16,128
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28531701
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Venus_flower/pseuds/Venus_flower
Summary: 1926, New York City. After being expelled from Harvard George makes his way to New York to stay with a close friend. While in a local library he meets quite an interesting character browsing the selection of books. His name was Dream he would later discover. They continue to meet each other under the falling sun, surrounded by the smell book pages and wrapped in the company of the other.//Inspired by "the still point" written by princedemeter
Relationships: DreamWasTaken/GeorgeNotFound
Comments: 18
Kudos: 28





	1. Late Nights In A Library

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [the still point](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27149602) by [princedemeter](https://archiveofourown.org/users/princedemeter/pseuds/princedemeter). 

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> George moves to New York city and is fascinated by the city around. He visits a local library and meets an interesting stranger. They grow closer and promise to continue meeting in the library during the late hours of the night.

George stepped out on the train platform; the bitter cold nipped at his exposed skin as he wrapped his amber coat tighter around him. It was February 1926 in New York City; bits of snow lay on the ground around the station left over from the previous night. He shivered as he looked around for his friend, Eret. George didn’t see him, so he continued walking further down the station. Groups of people bustled around him, greeting or saying farewells to each other. He trudged passed the varieties of people, scanning the cars and crowds for the familiar face of his friend. 

Instead, he was met with a familiar voice, “George, is that you”.

He whirled around, searching for the source of the call. Eret stood by his car. A bright smile graced his lips as he made his way towards George. George greeted him with a smile of his own and a hug.

“How have you been? You look so different since the last time I saw you; I almost didn’t recognize you”, Eret spoke eagerly. 

George smiled at his friend’s question. It had been sometime since the two had seen each other, a little more than a year to be exact. The last time they had been together was a few days before George had left for university. George had attended Harvard for a year before he was expelled. He had desperately tried to keep his romantic tastes a secret; his dormmate must have found out and reported him. He was interviewed and expelled amongst a few other students after their investigation. After finding out about his being expelled, his parents did not want him to return to their estate, so instead George wrote a letter to his close friend in New York saying he would be traveling there and asking if he could stay with him for a short amount of time. 

“I’ve been well, Eret”, he replied pulling his luggage over to Eret’s car.  


He hadn’t brought many of his belongings. Only the clothing he had at his dorm in Harvard and a few more personal and sentimental items. Eret took his bag and placed it in the back while George climbed into the passenger seat. The heater in the automobile was running smoothly, filling the car with a comfortable warmth. George rubbed his hands together feeling the cold seep out of his body. He waited as Eret settled into the other seat before starting the car and setting off. He began droning on about where he lived and the area around it, as George stared mesmerized out of the window. He had never been to New York before despite his best friend living there, and he was amazed at the tall buildings that seemed to touch the sky. What was possibly hundreds of people flooded on the sidewalks. They briskly walked past each other off to their destinations. George had been to cities before, his family was quite wealthy and traveled frequently, but George had never been to place that captured his attention like New York. The city held a trilling ambiance that pulled you in. His eyes flitted around to the various buildings and people. He was completely enthralled in the city around him. They drove on passing parks, bar, and other numerous building; George took in each one they passed, appreciating the architecture and the aura of the streets.

“Here we are”, Eret declared as he pulled off to the side of the road. They had parked in front of a large apartment building. It looked worn down but still inviting.

Eret helped retrieve his bag then they headed up the stairwell. Several flights later they stopped in front of a door with the numbers “145” written on it. Eret dug around in his coat pocket before pulling out a set of keys and unlocking the door. The inside of the house was nice. It wasn’t extravagate or big like the houses George was used to, but it was welcoming. The walls were painted a soft beige and the floors were carpeted, a few stains littering the soft material. An old looking sofa and armchair sat in the middle of the living area; a radio was placed on the table beside them. 

Eret gave an apologetic smile, “Forgive me. Its not much, but there is a spare room for you to stay in for as long as he would like”. He motioned down the hallway.  
George smiled reassuringly, “It’s fine Eret, really”.

Eret directed him to the spare room in the back of the hallway; the door was ajar to Eret’s room and he peaked inside. There were dresses and short wigs set out on his bed and a vanity with an array of beauty products. Eret, like him, was queer. From what he had been told through letters, Eret had recently been participating in drag shows at local speakeasys and was slowly gaining traction in the media. He was ushered into the spare room as Eret informed him on where he could place his things. The sun was slowly falling in the sky. An arrangement of colors shown through the window as Eret was closing the door, pushing him to get sleep and be prepared for the “grand tour” Eret was to provide tomorrow. 

He hung up his clothing in the closet and placed a few of his knickknacks on his bedside table before yawning and crawling into to bed. The soft sheets comfortably wrapped around him and he willed himself to sleep, preparing for his new life in New York.

He awoke the next morning to the smell of fresh food wafting around the spare bedroom. He slowly rose from the bed, rubbing the last bits of sleep from his eyes. He quietly trudged out into the kitchen. Eret stood at the stove, a pan sizzling in front of him. He looked over as George walking further into the room.

“Good morning George, please have a seat. Breakfast is almost finished”, he gestured to the empty dining table.

George took his seat, “so, what are we doing today Eret”, he questioned.

Eret moved the cooked bacon off of the pan before answering, “I thought I could show you around town”, he suggested. 

George nodded, “sounds swell”.

Eret plated the food and brought the meals over to the table, placing Georges’ in front of him. He hummed in enjoyment as he took his first bite; he complimented his friends cooking before hurriedly finishing his plate. Eret chuckled as he finished his own before taking the empty dishes to the kitchen. Both men left to their rooms to get dress. George put on a cardigan knit sweater and a pair of trousers. He took his deep yellow over coat off of the hanger and slid it on. As he exited his room Eret was slipping on is shoes and George did the same.

George practically buzzed in excitement when they left the apartment building. He was sure that no matter how long he spent in New York he would never get over the beauty of the city. People bustled by, pushing past each other, and continuing down the sidewalk as it was almost time for them to start work. Eret waved his hand signaling for George to follow him. They passed by many other resident buildings and shops, each one George stared at and appreciated; Eret pointed out a few clubs and secret speakeasies that he had performed at along the way. The walked around the block then stopped at a nearby park. They took a seat on one of the benches and relaxed. He looked around a bit more. The citizens wore large wool coats as it was quiet cold during February in New York, some women wore long fur covered over coats and fashionable hats. The surrounding trees had lost their leaves to the bitter winter and the grass was a duller, dead looking, green. The sun was high in the sky by know after their walk around. 

“What now”, George asked.

Eret shrugged, “perhaps we could go and see some friends of mine”, he suggested. 

George nodded and Eret began leading them to the apartment building his friends lived in. several blocks later they stopped in front of a large building; Eret turned to make sure George was still following him before proceeding up the stairs until he stopped at a door. He knocked gently and they waited. Several moments later the door opened and tall man with straight brown hair stood at the entrance. He smiled brightly.

“Eret hello, I wasn’t aware you were coming over”, he greeted, stepping aside to let them in.

“Yeah, sorry I didn’t tell you. This is George; George this is Fundy”, Eret introduced as they sat down on the sofa. George gave a small wave as they settled in. “Is Will here”, Eret questioned.

Fundy nodded, “he’s in the back room. We were about to smoke; you can join if you would like”, he offered as the man called Will entered the room with a small sack in his hand.

Fundy motioned to George, “Wilbur this is George”, Wilbur gave him a smile and wave.

“Should we head up to the roof”, he questioned.

Eret and Fundy nodded and stood up from the couch. Fundy opened one of the windows that led out to the fire escape and crawled out; George followed them out and continued up the stairs to the roof. Crowds of birds flew overhead, and the general hustle and bustle of the streets could be heard. Everyone settled in a circle and Wilbur began rolling blunts. 

He turned to George, “are you going to smoke”, he questioned.

George felt nerves creep up his neck, “I’ve never done it before”, he admitted. 

“You can try if you’d like”, Fundy reassured, “it’s quite fun”.

George nodded and Wilbur rolled him a blunt and handed it to him. Fundy began passing a lighter around. George slowly lit his, watching the paper burn. He put the roll to his lips, inhaling softly. The smoke burned his mouth and he immediately fell into a coughing fit. Fundy and Eret chuckled from the side as they blew the vapor out of their mouths. It glided methodically into the darkening sky, swirling around in the breeze. He took another hit, prepared for the burn. He didn’t cough; he held it in his lungs for a moment before breathing out. It was relaxing. Sitting atop an apartment building in the setting sun, casually smoking. As the day grew older and bright sky turned dark, the group began feeling the affects of the weed. George felt light and airy and he giggled about nothing in particular. Fundy was leaning on Wilbur as he took another drag of his blunt and looked out on the stars. Wilbur began pointing out constellations and sharing the stories behind them before the group got too cold and headed back down the fire escape stairs. They crawled one by one back into Fundy’s small apartment. Fundy said his goodnights before sleepily stumbling to his room, Wilbur ended up crashing on the living room floor, and George and Eret took the couch.

George woke up groggy the next morning, his brain a little fuzzy from the hangover. Eret and Wilbur were still soundly asleep, while Fundy was in the kitchen cooking. George stood up and stretched before walking into the kitchen to greet Fundy. 

“Good morning George”, Fundy exclaimed. 

George hummed in response and sat down at the dining room table. Fundy finished cooking and placed everything on plates, leaving two on the counter for when Eret and Wilbur woke up, and bringing two over for George and himself. 

Fundy made idle conversation as they ate, “Where did you move here from”, he questioned.

“I came here from Massachusetts. I was attending collage at Harvard before I got expelled, so I came here”, George replied.

Fundy hummed, “why were you expelled”, he asked

George sighed, “The administration did some investigations on some students. I was expelled for being queer, as well as some others”.

“Well, that’s bullshit”, Wilbur added as he stepped in the kitchen, rubbing sleep from his eyes. Fundy nodded in agreement.

Georges’ eyes crinkled in a small smile, while Eret was also groggily entering the kitchen. He and Wilbur took their plates, and Fundy asked more questions about his university experience and hometown, Georges’ family was from Pennsylvania. They lived in quiet a large house, and he had two sisters. The youngest named Cathleen and the oldest named Anne. His father worked at a ford factory and his mother stayed at home. George hadn’t planned on going to college, but his parents insisted he go to a pristine university and “make a good life for himself”. George had scoffed at the idea but reluctantly agreed to end his parents constant nagging. After sharing a bit more about his home life, the rest of the group began sharing stories from their younger years and a few recent adventures that they had been on. Almost an hour of chatting and laughing later, Eret announced that since it was about midday he and George should head back to his apartment. Saying goodbye to Wilbur and Fundy they set out back to Eret’s apartment. When they arrived Eret unlocked the door and trudged in, muttering about how he was going to take a nap, the weed had left him a bit more exhausted than he had expected.

“There are some books on the shelf if you get bored, if you’re hungry you can make anything you want”, he yawned before closing his bedroom door.

George quickly changed his clothes, the smell of weed still lingered on the fabric, then settled on looking through the books Eret had mentioned. George had already read the novels sitting on the small tan shelf. Eret often liked to give him book recommendations and would sometimes send him his favorites through the mail for George to read. He shrugged. It wouldn’t hurt to reread them. He picked up The Great Gatsby as it was one of his favorites.

Several hours later and Eret was still asleep. The sun was about to set, and George had finished rereading all of the books and had even began reading The Most Dangerous Game for a third time. He quietly got but and tiptoed to Eret’s room. He gently opened the door and stepped inside.

“Eret”, he whispered trying not to startle his sleeping friend. “Eret”, he tried again.

Eret slowly roused form his slumber groggily looking up at George, “Is everything okay”, he asked. 

George nodded, “everything’s fine. Are there any libraries nearby? I want to get some different books”, he questioned.

“There is a public library on the corner of w133rd Street and w134th Street. Do you need me to come with you”, Eret said.

George shook his head and thanked Eret telling him he could go back to sleeping. He walked to his room and got his overcoat, informing Eret he would be back in an hour or two, before stepping out of the front door, walking out onto the street, and scanning the area for street signs. It had gotten colder in New York and when he breathed a white puff was produced in front of him. He wrapped his coat around himself tighter and hurriedly began walking down the street to the library. It wasn’t hard to find; right on the corner of the two streets like Eret had said. It was a fairly tall building made out of old, worn stone. The inside was barren, not a single soul in site other than the sweet old librarian who sat at the front desk. She greeted him with a friendly smile as he stepped into the building. There were several long tables set out in front of the bookshelves and small cushioned seats in the windows. It seemed there was a second floor with even more large bookshelves. The building was quite cozy and smelled of old paper. It was quiet and relaxing inside, and George quickly walked over to the books to start browsing the selections. The library held an array of different literatures carefully placed within the wooden shelving. So many books George had never seen or heard of all at the tips of his fingers. It felt like a wonderland inside the stone building, surrounded by looming bookshelves and the steadily falling sun. 

He gathered a bundle of books in his arms before making his way to one of the widow seats near the back. He laid the pile in the floor before pulling one off the top and settling into the plush cushions, slipping his shoes of so that he was in just socks and pulling his feet up into the seat as well. He relaxed quickly and started reading. The book was worn, the edges of the pages tattered from use. There were little notes and scribbles left in the foot notes and bookmarks in a few of the pages, left and forgotten. He fully immersed himself in the book, the outside world fading to but a memory. He only existed in his own little bubble as he read through page after page, appreciating the words and phrases.

Several books later and he was interrupted by the door opening. A young man around his age strolled through the door. He had deep blonde hair, slight waves gracing the strands, and small freckles littered the bridge of his nose and cheekbones. He was quite tall and wore a dark brown overcoat and beige trousers. As the stranger walked further into the building, he and George made eye contact, before he quickly looked away. The stranger looked slightly shocked to see him, but swiftly made his way to one of the shelfs and began looking through it. By this point it was dark, bright lights speckled the deep sky. The streets no longer bustled with foot traffic. A lonely lamplighter was making his rounds, lighting up the dull streets. George hoped Eret wasn’t worried about him. He had stayed out longer than intended, but if Eret needed him he knew where George was. He continued reading by the dim light of a lamp sat near him but was interrupted by someone clearing their throat in front of him. He looked up from his book and was met with the sheepish smile of the boy who had walked in earlier. 

George raised a brow, “Hello, do you need something”, he questioned, setting his book down and sitting up more.

The stranger scratched the back of his neck, “Yes, I was wondering. Could you give me any book recommendations? You seem to have quite the collection”, he motioned to Georges’ stack of books.

George glanced at the stranger before digging through his pile, “I suppose I can”, he picked up the book This Side of Paradise. He had finished reading it over and hour ago, “this one is good in my opinion”, he suggested.

The stranger took the book and looked at the cover, flipping through a few of the pages before sending a bright smile and “thank you” to George. He sat down at a near by table. George nodded and resumed his previous position and continued the book he was reading. Only a few sentences later he was interrupted again by the stranger talking; he seemed to want to speak more than read.

“Did you move here? I don’t recognize you”, the blond man questioned. 

George bookmarked his page, deciding he wasn’t going to be doing much reading while this chatter box was sat near him, “I came from Massachusetts”, he replied.

“Is it well over there”, stranger asked.

George shrugged, “it’s fine. I enjoy it more here”.

“What’s your name”, George was asked.

“It’s George”, he replied, “What’s yours”.

“Dream” he said.

George laughed, “that’s quite a silly name”, he teased.

“It’s a nickname. George is quite a boring name isn’t it”, he defended.

George shrugged, “maybe it is”, he agreed.

The two continued talking into the night. They teased and made playful banter with each other. Georges cheeks ached from the amount of smiling and laughing he had done. The two seemed to fit together like puzzle pieces despite only recently meeting. After almost an hour of talking, Dream pulled out his pocket watch. 

“It’s late. I should be going”, he said.

George nodded, “I should as well; my friend is probably worried”, he said gathering a few books to take back with him. 

They walked out of the library together; before George could walk off Dream gripped his forearm.

“Will you be coming back here”, he asked.

George gave a smile and enthusiastic nod. Dream smiled to himself and let go of George's arm, “Good. Tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow”, he reassured.

Dream nodded then began is walk down the street in the opposite direction. George lingered for a moment watching Dreams figure disappear into the darkness before he too turned and walked back to the apartment building. He creeped into the living room quietly and a peak in Eret’s room revealed him to be sound asleep. George made his way to his own and changed into his pajamas before climbing into bed and waiting for the new day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!! Sorry for the shorter chapter, but I really hope you enjoyed this; I had a lot of fun writing this chapter! Please leave a kudos or a comment if you like the story so far.
> 
> Alright lets get down to some historical inaccuracies. I had to change some historical things for the sake of the story so now I'm going to tell you how it actually happened.
> 
> Harvard did actually expel/ cut ties with some students/ teachers for being queer. Eight students, one recent graduate, and one assistant professor to be exact. The Secret Court of 1920 was an ad hoc disciplinary tribunal of five administrators at Harvard University formed to investigate charges of homosexual activity among the student population. During two weeks in May and June 1920, "the court" conducted more than 30 interviews behind closed doors. Two of the students were later readmitted. The affair went unreported until 2002.


	2. Outside Of The Library?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dream and George are meeting at the library every night; Dream brings up the possibility of meeting during the outside of the library.

Dream and George began meeting at the library frequently. Every night around the same time George would inform Eret he was heading out then walk down to the street corner; he would be met with the same old stone building, the bright yellow lights inside lighting up the place. Dream always arrived before him; George would walk into the large building, the librarian giving him the same cheery smile despite the late hours of the night, and he would find Dream tucked away into one of the back corners. He would have stacks of books around him and a notebook out, scribbling words inside periodically as he read. The boys would settle in and camp out at whatever window seat or table Dream had chosen for the night. He would offer book recommendations to George and vividly summarize the plot of his recent favorites as George listened intently. Dream seemed to have such a way with words. The way he described the imagery and language provided you with a clear bright picture in your mind. He was enthusiastic as he described the books, gesturing wildly with his hands and raising his voice when he got excited earing a glare form the librarian. 

Tonight, they had settled on one of the very back window seats. George was hunched in on himself, nose buried in a book. Dream sat across form him at one of the tables, their positions were quite similar to the night they had met. It had been a little over a week since George’s first arrival at the old library, nine days since he had first gotten off the train in the New York station. Eret had shown him a plethora of other towns and buildings in the time he had been living in the city, but his favorite place by far was the Library. Not only was it a place of sanctuary and relaxation, but it held the many conversations with Dream that had faded into the endless stary night. It held the traces of their exchanges, in the form of forgotten bookmarks and stilly notes scribbled on the corners of the pages they had ripped out of Dreams’ notebook, scattered around the library floor and seats.

Dream dropped his own book to quickly grip his pencil and write something in the notebook. He had never allowed George to see what was inside; even after ten minutes of Georges’ constant nagging. George just assumed he was taking notes on the books he read. He often took notes too, so he couldn’t fathom why Dream was so secretive of it; still he respected Dream’s privacy and never snooped inside. 

George peaked out from behind his book to see Dream pick his own up again, “what are you reading”, he asked, sitting up more.

Dream perked up at the question, “I’m reading a book of poems. It’s has hundreds of poems all by different authors”, he answered enthusiastically.

George made a face of disgust, “why are you reading poetry. It’s so boring”, he sneered.

Dream chuckled and shook his head, “No you just don’t understand it enough to appreciate it”.

George put his book down and crossed his arms defensively, “well if you’re so smart why don’t you read me a poem. Maybe then I will be able to appreciate it”, he mocked.

Dream hurriedly flipped through the pages before smiling and stopping on a poem titled "That I Did Always Love". He cleared his through before he began reading.

_That I did always love  
I bring thee Proof  
That till I loved  
I never lived- enough-_

_That I shall love alway  
I argue thee  
That love is life  
And life hath immortality_

_This — dost thou doubt — Sweet —  
Then have I  
Nothing to show  
But Calvary- ___

George didn’t understand what the poem meant, but he was still captivated by the emotion in Dream’s voice. Each word he took the careful time to fully articulate and he read slowly leaving you feeling a sense of anticipation before he started the next phrase. When he was finished to looked to George expectantly.

George sighed, “It was lovely, but I don’t understand it”.

Dream got up from his chair, moving to sit on the window seat beside George. He leaned into George’s space before beginning to explain.

“Well, she’s saying that love is life, and without life there is nothing to love. The author has always loved the receiver and that without love, there is nothing. With love, however, life is immortal. And if the receiver doesn't believe that she loves him, she will do nothing but suffer”

George sat shocked, “how did you understand all of that by just a few words on a page”, he breathed.

Dream shrugged, “You have to think about what the author was trying convey through their words and use context clues”.

“Can you read more”, George asked, looking up at Dream.

He nodded, opening the book of poems back up. They both settled into the cushions; Dream continued reading through the poems and explaining the meanings. George was leaning into his side, his chin resting above Dreams shoulder as he listened to his voice read through the lines of the poems. The gentle light of the moon shone through the windows, illuminating their activities. Dream finished explaining another poem then began skimming through the book for a new one to read. His voice was gentle and smooth as he delicately dragged his finger along the page under the line. George felt his eyelids grow heavy, Dream’s voice lulling him to sleep. He leaned further into Dream’s side and unconsciously snuggling into Dream’s neck. He felt Dream’s breath hitch for a moment before resuming his reading. After a few more lines Dream noticed George’s breathe even out; he glanced down and was met with the relaxed face of George, he was asleep. Dream smiled to himself before continuing to read at a lower volume, as to not wake his sleeping friend. George looked quite peaceful when he slept. His breathing was slowed and his face relaxed. He was calm, unguarded. The twilight of the moon shone on his features almost like a spotlight. It illuminated the heights of his cheekbones and his soft cupids bow. Dream was sure if they were visible Georges eyes would glimmer in the moonlight. He stirred slightly before settling snuggly into Dream’s side again. The words of the poems slowly began to slur in his mind; it became difficult to focus on the book as his eyes struggled to remain open and his head begged to lull to the side. He sluggishly bookmarks his place and sat the book down beside him, laying his head atop George’s and sitting back. 

Dreams mind felt foggy when he opened his eyes and his neck hurt form the strange position, he had slept in. He glanced at the window. The moon was high in the sky and the stars still shined brightly. George was still asleep next to him. He lightly shook his shoulder, trying to rouse him form sleep but not startle him. George’s eyes slowly blinked out and he looked around, groggily recognizing his surroundings. He met Dream’s eyes and slumped back into the seat. 

“What time is it”, he whispered, still sleepy.

Dream pulled his pocket watch out of his nearby coat pocket, “About one in the morning”, he supplied. 

George groaned, “Why on earth did you let me fall asleep. My friend must think I’ve been killed”.

Dream chuckled and pulled George up from the seat. They sorted through the books deciding what to take with them, before shuffling out of the library doors. The night was cold and the streets silent; the streetlights being the only tool to see in the dark night. They stood together on the sidewalk, both seemingly not wanting to leave the company of the other.

Dream turned to him, “Will you be alright walking back on your own”.

“I always am, Dream”, George reassured. 

Dream’s lips quirked up in a small, tired smile, “I just don’t want anything to happen to you”.

“Thank you for your concern”, he smiled, “I will see you tomorrow, correct”.

He nodded, “Like always Gogy”, he whispered as he turned and walked into the night.

George giggled at the strange nickname Dream had given him before turning in the direction of Eret’s apartment. It was a short walk between the two buildings, but it was long enough for George to grow considerably cold. When he arrived at the apartment door, he slowly creeped the door open and slide inside. He smiled to him self as he thought about meeting Dream under the stars in the library the next day.

“Why are you so happy”, George was shocked out of his thoughts by Eret sitting on the couch, his brow raised expecting an answer. 

George jumped and stuttered, “Eret why aren’t you asleep”, he questioned has he sat his bag of books down.

“I could ask you the same question”, he countered, smirking, “Why are you always so giggly when you come back from the library. Is there someone I should know about”?

George flushed slightly, taking a seat next to Eret on the sofa, “It’s not like that Eret. He’s just a friend”.

Eret nodded, “Yes of course just a friend. A friend you meet in a library at the late hours of the night”, he sauntered off to his room and stopped before he closed his door, “Get some sleep George”, Eret suggested, “And I hope it goes well with your library love”, he teased.

George shook his head before getting up and walking off to his own room. The bright morning sun shone through the window in George’s room. He blinked slowly as he rose from his bed, rubbing at his eyes. As he walked into the kitchen Eret greeted him with a friendly “good morning”. George sat down at the table muttering a sleepy “morning” in return. Eret served the both of them breakfast and the two discussed what activities they wanted to partake in for the day.

Eret’s face lit up, “There’s a speakeasy that is open during the day. I’ve reformed there a few times. What about that”, he questioned.

George nodded in agreement and the boys finished their food before heading off to their separate rooms to get dressed. They met out in the living room, checking they had anything they need, then headed out on the New York streets. They both slid into Eret’s car as the bar’s location was quite far from the apartments. Eret drove them into an area that George had never seen before. The streets looked less overrun by people and the buildings slightly more rundown. Eret pulled his car off the side of the road. The building in front of them looked small and quaint. Eret motioned for George to exit the car; he led them around to the side of the building where a back door was located. He knocked loudly on the door three times and waited until it opened. They were met with a tall gruff looking man. Eret gave a small wave and the man nodded and stepped aside.

“He’s with me”, Eret informed, pointing over his shoulder towards George.

The man seemed to eye him for a moment before nodding curtly and allowed him to follow Eret further into the building. The lighting inside was dim and the loud chatter of patrons could be heard throughout the space. There wasn’t a large amount of people seeing as it was still daylight, but there was enough that you had to squeeze through the bundles of strangers. Eret led them over to the bar near the back of the building. It was being tended by a woman with light blonde hair. Her face lit up when her eye’s landed on Eret.

“Eret! What are you doing here; are you preforming today”, she questioned as they grew closer to the bar stools?

Eret smiled and took a seat, George doing the same, “Not today Niki. I wanted to bring George here”, he supplied.  
Niki’s eyes shifted to him and she stuck out her hand for George to shake, “Lovely to meet you George. How are you enjoying New York”, she inquired?

“It’s more exciting then where I am from”, George replies.

Niki nods, “It is quite the wild place. Now what can I get you two”.

Eret orders for the both of them and Niki turns to begin making their drinks. George swivels in his seat to look around at the bar more. There’s a large group of people dancing in front of a stage, a Jazz band plays loudly on top of it. It’s an upbeat song that George has never heard before, but it shakes the floors slightly. Niki returns to the bar with their drinks and George takes a small sip, testing the taste of the beverage. He isn’t sure what it is but its fruity and the taste lingers on his tongue. He sips a bit more, drinking slowly, not wanting to be two half seas over while at the library with Dream later in the night. A new song bounces off of the speakeasy walls and Eret places his drink down, bumps Georges shoulder, and gestures to the space in front of the band. George skeptically raises his brow.

Eret rolls his eyes, “Come on George, do you not want to dance”?

George rolls it over in his mind before reluctantly agreeing and placing his drink down as well. He slides off of his seat and follows Eret over to the crowd of dancing patrons. The band is louder now that George is in a closer proximity. His ears ring from the loud music. Eret grips his hands, laughing gleefully as he pulls George into dancing. George lets a small smile creep onto his face at his friend’s antics and lets his muscles untense. He begins laughing too as Eret playfully spins him. They dance together for a bit more, periodically returning to the bar and nursing their drinks in their hands. The more George drinks the louder the buzz in his head. He knows he should stop drinking soon if he wants to presentable for Dream, but he continues guzzling his alcohol. A little more than an hour passes; George is on the boarder of tipsy and drunk. Eret, far more put together than George, only has a faint blush on his cheekbones from the beverages. Eret informs George that they should leave, “especially if you want to meet your little friend in the library”, he had said as they walked out of the back door into eh bright streets of New York. They quickly drove back to Eret’s apartment and George stumbled inside to sleep off his intoxication. He mumbled a “wake me up after sunset” before closing his door and passing out on his soft sheets.

Several hours later he was awoken by soft knocks on the door. Eret stepped in and nudged him further wake telling him the sun had gone down about thirty minutes earlier. George said his thank you and got out of bed to change. His clothes still smelled of alcohol; he figured Dream would not enjoy having to bear the smell while they sat together. When he exited his room Eret stopped him.

“A letter arrived in the mail for you. I believe it was from your parents”, he said handing George a sealed letter.

George inwardly groaned. He took the letter and sat down on the sofa to read it. It was a relatively short letter, handwritten and signed by his mother.

_Dear George,_

_Your father and I hope you are doing well, and we hope you can understand out anger with you. We are utterly aghast at your being expelled, especially for such foul reasons. We want what is best for you. That is why we sent you to a pristine school. We believe in your potential for a greater life. I cannot begin to understand what in we did wrong in your youth for you to be taking part in such an absurd lifestyle._

_Despite our quarrel with you, we both wish you well. Anna informed us you were staying with a friend, Eret, in New York. I, your father, and sisters wish you well._

_Sincerely your mother and father. ___

__George sighed and folded the letter back up. His mother was going to expect a reply. But why did she deserve one. His parents had never supported him and when he had nowhere to go, they denied him. He huffed quietly to himself, shaking out irrational thoughts. She was his mother and deserved to know he was doing well. That is all George would say. He would write back, tell them he was fine, then cut communications for the time being. He laid the letter on the table and said his goodbyes to Eret for the night as he would most likely be sleeping by the time George returned. He took his time walking to the library, mulling over the letter he had received. The night was cold again causing him to wrap himself further in his overcoat._ _

__When he arrived, the Library was barren as usual, the only occupant of the space was Dream. He was hunched over at one the tables a book sat in front of him. His finger moved swiftly over the page. George places his items down beside him and Dreams eyes moved towards. He gave a small, relieved smile._ _

__“Your later than usual. I had thought you ditched me”, he joked._ _

__George silently shook his head, avoiding Dreams concerned stare, “Do you want to help me pick a new book”, he asked, making his way over to the bookshelves._ _

__Dream wordlessly followed George. They both stood in between the large shelves, shuffling through a number of books. Dream glanced to George out of the side of his eye. George’s brows were furrowed and his shoulders tense._ _

__“Are you okay”, he questioned._ _

__“I received a letter from my parents”, he sighed, “It wasn’t bad. It just made me feel upset that they felt worthy enough to write me after they wouldn’t allow me come home”._ _

__“I’m sorry George”, Dream breathed, turning to face him, “They do not deserve you as a son”._ _

__George nodded solemnly. Dream turned back to the shelving, unsure of how to brighten George’s mood. He skimmed the books swiftly before his eyes landed on one in particular. He grabbed it off the shelf and nudged George._ _

__“What about this one. The Mysterious Affair at Styles. I have read it before. It’s a mystery novel”, Dream suggested._ _

__George took the book, skimming through the pages, before nodding up at Dream. They returned to their seats and George began reading. Dream took the time to study is face. His eyebrows were furrowed as he read though the book. The moon the relatively blocked by clouds overhead, so the library was dimmer than usual. A few streaks of moonlight shined through the windows. They bounced off of the surrounding surfaces and brightening aspects of George’s face. George quickly looked up and smiled._ _

__“It’s quite good so far”, he complimented._ _

__Dream nodded, “It’s written in a way where the reader knows who the killer is before the detective. It’s very interesting”._ _

__George nodded and continued reading on. Dream settled into his seat and pulled out one of his books to begin reading. They didn’t speak much, both comfortable enough in the presents of the other and caught up in the books they were reading. The clock struck midnight, before both boys raised their eyes from their books. They wordlessly gather their things and stood up. They stopped outside of the doors as usual to say their final goodbyes for the night._ _

__“George”, Dream said, catching his attention, “I was wondering if you’d want to hand out outside of the library”._ _

__George’s eyes widened it had never crossed his mind that they could meet outside of the library before, “Of course. When were you thinking”, he questioned?_ _

__“Two days from now, Thursday”, Dream inquired._ _

__“Sounds perfect. Can you meet me here”, Dream nodded in response and they both happily made their walks back home. George felt giddy when he walked inside. Meeting Dream outside of the comfort of the library felt strange, but not unwelcomed. He went to sleep excited, while dreaming up Thursdays possible activities._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Nothing historically important happened this chapter so I don't have any history facts/ info for you :(
> 
> I don't have a specific upload schedule for this fic yet. I've been busy with school and these chapters are longer than I usually write. I can for sure say that it would upload once a week if everything goes to plan.
> 
> I apologize for any typos or mistakes; I'll read back through and catch them at some point.


	3. High On You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> George finally meets Dream's friends, and Dream is met with an unwelcomed visitor on his door step.

Two days later and George was practically buzzing with excitement. The night before George had met Dream at the library. The two agreed to meet each other at 2:00 p.m. He rushed in and out of his room, dragging half of his closet with him to ask Eret’s opinion on outfits. Eret chuckled at his childlike excitement as he gave his advice. He settled on a light blue button down and a beige vest to go over top of it. He changed quickly then glanced at his wristwatch; on the way out of the door he grabbed his yellow over coat to bring with him and sent a nervous and enthusiastic “goodbye” to Eret. George briskly walked down the street; it looked slightly different in the day. It wasn’t deserted like normal, and he could make out some of the finer details on the buildings he passed. He felt the buzz of anxiety in his veins. In truth, there was no reason to be nervous. Dream said he wanted to introduce him to a few of his friends that he had met while attending a nearby community college, majoring in business at his parent’s requests.

The old library was dauntedly growing closer, and he could make out Dream’s figure waiting outside of the doors. As George arrived closer, Dream caught his eye and waved with a bright smile. George picked up his pace and returned the wave. When he was finally a few feet form his companion, he took the time to study him. They had never seen each other in natural lighting before, only the artificial lights from the library lamps or streetlights. The bright sunlight seemed to bring out Dream’s freckles more and his green eyes glimmered in the shining sun. 

“Hello”, Dream greeted with a grin.

“Hi, shall we be going”, George questioned. 

Dream chuckled and motioned for George to follow him down the street. They made idle conversation as they walked to the dorm buildings where Dream stayed, talking about their days and Dream telling him about his dormmate and friends. George didn’t recognize the street they walked down. It was a busier street, various people, that looked to be around their age, rushed down the small sidewalks. Some held textbooks and backpacks in their hands. _They must be close to the university _George thought. Sure enough a moment later George could make out a rather large building in the distance; the sandy colored stone had vines growing in between the cracks. Dream dragged George over to a building on their right. A sign by the stairwell read “Student Dorms”. They hurriedly rushed up the many flights of stairs.__

__“I believe they’re waiting on the rooftop”, Dream informed, turning to smile brightly at George, “I just know they are going to love you”, he continued on._ _

__The boys finally arrived at the top landing leading out on to the roof. Dream pushed open the heavy door with little effort, and the bright sun flooded into the small stairwell. George shielded his eyes with his hand as he followed Dream. His eyes adjusted to the light and he saw two boys, who looked up at their entrance, sitting by the ledge. The brunette with slightly curly hair held a blunt in between his lips, inhaling the vapor. The other gave an enthusiastic wave._ _

__“Dream! What took you so long”, he questioned, he seemed to notice George standing off to the side, “Is this George._ _

__George gave a timid wave, and Dream draped his arm around his shoulder, pulling his closer, “George, this is Sapnap”, he gestured to the enthusiastic boy, “and this is Karl”, he said, moving his hand to point at the boy blowing smoke through his lips._ _

__“It’s nice to meet you George. Dream talks about you all the time. God, you should have heard him gushing about the “’pretty boy”’ in the library. It was in extremely obnoxious”, Sapnap was cut off by a jab in the ribs from Dream, who coughed into his fist awkwardly, while George flushed a brilliant pink._ _

__Karl chuckled off to the side, “So George, do you smoke”, he asked?_ _

__George nodded, “I have once before”, Karl held up burlap bag in question, “I suppose I could go for a smoke”, he answered._ _

__Dream mumbled a “me too” and Karl rolled them both a blunt. He handed George the roll and a lighter. He flicked the lighter until it lit and put the flame to the end of the roll while it sat in between his lips; he turned to Dream to offer him the lighter but instead Dream placed his hand gently on Georges jaw, turning his head to face his own. He placed his own blunt in his mouth and leaned in closer, touching the two rolls together and lighting his. Their noses sat mere inches apart and George could count the number of freckles speckling Dreams face and the brown hints scattered around his iris. Dream sat back, taking the lighter from George’s open palm and tossing it back to Karl. George sat wide-eyed and flushed as Karl passed the lighter to Sapnap, who lit his own._ _

__They carelessly chatted about anything and everything. George and Sapnap fell into comfortable banter, making fun of each other in every sentence that fell from their mouths, if you had never seen the two you would believe they had been friends for years. The three students shared various stories form their semester so far. Dream reluctantly admitting that he was not doing so well in his classes. “Business is a quite a boring major” he had protested._ _

__“What would you rather be doing”, George questioned._ _

__Dream shrugged, “Maybe something to do with writing”._ _

__“He just wants to spend all of his time in the library with his precious Gogy”, Sapnap teased from the side, faking a swoon into Karl who giggled at his antics. Dream rolled his eyes dramatically._ _

__George, ignoring the two beside him, continued on, “Why did you choose a business major if you do not enjoy it”._ _

__Dream groaned, “My father”, he replied simply, “He wants me to follow in his footsteps”, he said with air quotes._ _

__After almost twenty minutes of smoking, the blunts growing short, the group had moved to sit on the edge of the building. They irresponsibly hung their legs off the edge and swayed as the buzz of the high fizzled in their minds. George leaned softly into Dream’s side; the sun was sitting low in the sky. Cars whizzed by on the streets below them and people briskly walked down the sidewalks, occupying their own personal lives. Karl kicked his feet; his shoelaces blew in the wind. A group of pigeons flew overhead, and Sapnap glanced up to watch._ _

__“Do you think birds could talk”, he slurred._ _

__George turned to face him, swaying unsteadily, “What are you talking about”._ _

__Karl piped up, “That would be cool”._ _

__Dream nodded in agreement. “Birds are dumb. They couldn’t learn to talk”, George mumbled, turning back to lean into Dream again._ _

__Sapnap gasped beside him, “Birds think you’re dumb too, George”._ _

__George sent Sapnap a glare and turned to mush is face further into Dream’s shoulder. They watched the sun set for a while longer; Karl pulled his knees up into his chest and Dream wrapped his coat tighter around his body._ _

__It was becoming colder and being on the open rooftop definitely wasn’t helping with the chill. “Should head inside guys”, Nick suggested._ _

__They all mumbled their agreements and drowsily rose from their seats. They stumbled back down the stairs and into Dream’s and Sapnap’s dorm room. Karl immediately collapsed into a brown armchair sat off to the side of the room; he whispered a soft “goodnight” before falling asleep. Sapnap fell into his own bed and pulled the duvet over his body. George was making a move towards the desk chair before Dream gripped his arm and tugged him towards the bed parallel to Sapnap’s. He shoved George down into the bed and crawled in after him. Dream wrapped his arms loosely around George’s waist and mumbled a quiet “sleep”. George, too tired to complain, shrugged before pushing his face into Dreams chest. Their breathing evened out and they slipped into unconsciousness._ _

__The morning sun filtered through the eight pane dorm windows. It lit the surroundings in streaks and illuminated the calm faces of the sleeping boys. Karl still sat in the armchair; his knees were scrunched up into his chest, his head lulled to the side. Sapnap was practically hanging half out of his bed. His head was thrown off the side and his mouth hung open slightly. Dream was slowly rising from sleep, but the boy beside him did not stir. Georges hair stuck up in every which way and his face was mushed into the soft pillow that was gripped tightly in his arms. His face was calm, his features delicately relaxed and bathed in the soft glow of the morning sun. _He looked utterly breath taking _Dream thought. He finally understood how the authors of the romance poems he always read felt when they wrote about the beautiful women they encountered. He gently pushed a strand of hair off George’s face, he stirred slightly, groaning and pushing his face further into the sheets. He seemed to still be asleep.___ _

____“For thy sweet love remembered such wealth brings. That then I scorn to change my state with kings”, Dream muttered to himself._ _ _ _

____George hummed audibly, causing Dream to jump a little, “Is that Shakespeare”, he murmured, turning to look towards Dream._ _ _ _

____“I thought you didn’t read poetry”, he swiftly changed the subject._ _ _ _

____George scoffed while sitting up, “I at least know Shakespeare”._ _ _ _

____Dream chuckled while the other two boys quietly awoke. After everyone was awake Dream and George decided to rummage through the pile of books Dream kept in the dorm room. A familiar book caught George’s eye off to the side. It was the book of poems Dream had read to him in the library. He gripped it gently and brought it closer, Dream tracked his movement. George bashfully turned to Dream and motioned to the book in his hand._ _ _ _

____“Do you think you could read me more poems. I quite enjoyed the last ones”, he asked, avoiding eye contact._ _ _ _

____Dream smirked and pulled George to sit next to him on the bed. He mindlessly flipped through page after page until he settled on one and began reading. George enjoyed hearing Dreams voice. It was gentle and sweet as he read through the metaphors and analogies. He enjoyed the way Dream took the time at the end of every poem to explain the meaning to him. Dream carefully crafted responses to his questions and phrased his explanations in ways that made it easier for George to grasp the meaning._ _ _ _

____He found it extremely endearing how Dream would stop mid phrase to gush about the authors wording or the “beautiful senary” the author was able to show through simple letters. Though he did not share Dream’s passion he could clearly see the love Dream held for the book. He found Dreams love for the complicated and boring literature charming. George could see several other poetry books in Dream’s collection. Though none of them seemed worn and well read like the one in Dreams hand. He cradled the writing similarly to a small child, and George found it almost humorous that Dream cared so openly about the piece of literature that he gently flipped through._ _ _ _

____After a few minutes of Dream and George reading and Sapnap and Karl teasing them for being “book worms” they grew hungry. They all wordlessly walked down to the cafeteria for breakfast, as no one wanted to make their own food. They scarfed down their breakfast while listening to George complain about the taste of the food. “What even is this” he practically shrieked when they had gotten their trays. After the boys finished their meal Karl headed off to his own dorm saying he needed to work on some assignments. George left shortly after, making the walk back to Eret’s apartment, who gave him a smirk and grin when he walked in the door._ _ _ _

____Once it was just him and Sapnap left in their small dorm, Dream flopped down on his bed with a sigh. He laid there for a few moments, savoring in the quiet. After being around so many people since yesterday evening, it was nice to relax in only the company of his close friend, Sapnap. The sound of Sapnap’s pencil scratching across his paper the only sound in the room, until a loud knock rang off of the door. Dream dragged himself up and trudged to the door. He flung it open with a glare, but he quickly straightened up when he took in who it was. A tall man, even taller than Dream, stood in front of the door. His hair was almost a deep shade of brown and he had bright green eyes. He stared dauntingly at Dream. His shadow seemed to loom in the entrance of the small room and Dream gulped. He stood his ground, offput by the man’s silence thus far._ _ _ _

____Dream cleared his throat and squared his shoulders, “Father, what are you doing here”, he questioned, cocking a brow._ _ _ _

____The man pushed into the room, setting his hat down on a nearby table. The suit he was wearing was sleek, clean, and clearly expensive. Sapnap sent him wide slightly terrified eyes from his peripheral vision, his writing had stopped when Dream’s father entered the room. He waited, in silence, for the scene in front of him to play out. Dream cocked his head towards the door, signaling for his friend to leave. Sapnap quickly took the hint and gripped his paper and pencil hard before scurrying out the door and rushing down the hall to the university library. Once they were alone his father turned to face him directly; he took a cautious step towards Dream._ _ _ _

____“How are you son”, he questioned with a friendly smile. His seemingly innocent demeaner would have fooled Dream if not for his stone-cold voice that rang off the walls when he spoke. His father was not here for friendly chatter._ _ _ _

____Dream smiled weakly, nervous, “I’ve been well”, he concluded curtly, avoiding eye contact with his father._ _ _ _

____His father nodded, “I talked to the headmaster. He said your grades are slipping”, his cold voice spoke._ _ _ _

____Dream winced. “Clay you can’t throw your life away”, his father pressured with a sigh._ _ _ _

____“I’m not throwing my life away. Okay”, Dream spat._ _ _ _

____His father seemed to mull his answer over before speaking again in that icy tone, “No matter. That isn’t what I came here to discuss. I have spoken to Mr. O’Malley. He is willing to give his blessing to you for his daughter”, Dream furrowed his eyebrows and frowned._ _ _ _

____His father noticed his response and continued on, “I know you are not keen on the idea, but this will be good for you. Not only will it grow your wealth but your social statues. The O’Malley family is very respectable. This marriage will allow you to climb to new opportunities”._ _ _ _

____Dream stepped away, “I do not wish for new opportunities”, he stated simply, “I do not wish for the life you have set for me”._ _ _ _

____His father squared his shoulders and adjusted his tie, “Clay please, think about it. It’s not a huge problem. You may even develop real feelings for the girl”, he persuaded._ _ _ _

____“I do not mean to be rude, but I could _never _fall in love with that girl”, Dream replied, anger was slowly boiling inside of him.___ _ _ _

______“And why is that. Is there a _boy _perhaps. Jesus Clay, I was nice to you when you informed me of your”, he paused, “-decision, but I cannot begin to comprehend why you would want a man over the thousands of lovely, eligible young women in this city”.___ _ _ _ _ _

________Dream sighed, stepping further towards his father, “I do not expect you to understand. I ask that you”, he jabbed a finger into the older man’s chest, “-stop trying to control by decisions”, he huffed. “Now if you would be so kind as to leave my room and stop meddling in life”, he pointed towards the door with malic in his voice. He was sick and tired of his father trying to control him. He had been doing it for years now._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________His father gave him a stern look before walking to the door to letting himself out. “Your mother would be ashamed of what you have become”, he hissed._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Maybe she would be”, he muttered to himself, closing the door behind his father’s hastily retreating figure._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________He trudged over to his bed and flopped down, deciding to get some sleep and not mull over the conversation that had occurred._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I hope you enjoyed this chapter again no real historical events this chapter. Next chapter will be centered around a very interesting historical event though. 
> 
> The Shakespeare quote is form sonnet 29. To explain the quote a little, the sonnet is pretty much about a man thinking about the bad in his life, but when he thinks of his love he feels happy. The line "For thy sweet love remembered such wealth brings/ That then I scorn to change my state with kings" pretty much says that thinking about his love brings value to his life, and that he would rather have it than be king.
> 
> IMPORTANT!! I am starting another DNF fic. This one will be a fantasy AU and since I will be writing two fic at the same time I might be a little slow with updates after this. I will try my very best to update as fast as I can! I do not know when the first chapter of the new fic will be out as I still have some planning to do for it.
> 
> Thank you for reading and the lovely comments and kudos you have left!!


	4. Blossoming In The Speakeasy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dream, George, and Eret head off to the Harlem Casino to attend the Harlem Hamilton Lodge Mascaraed and Civic Ball.

Eret was waiting by the door when George walked in; George smiled at him as he sat down on the couch.

“So, how was it. Did you have fun”, Eret questioned with a smirk. 

George chuckled and laid back on the sofa, “I had lots of fun Eret”, George smiled softly do himself, “I think I like him as more than a friend Eret”, he admitted.

Eret laughed and laid back beside George, “I would hope so. You smile like an idiot when you talk about him”, he teased, “What was his name again”.

“Dream”, George breathed

“I’m performing at the Harlem casino; the Hamilton Lodge drag ball is being held there. Maybe you could invite Dream”, Eret suggested. 

“Maybe. When is it”, George asked?

“This Friday. Ask him at the library tonight”, Eret said getting up to head to his room.

George spent the rest of the day lounging around in the apartment, sprawled out in the living room, reading through the books he had piled together. His mind kept drifting to Dream and asking him to the drag ball. _Would he even want to go with George. _George had never been in a relationship, let alone with another man. Of course, he knew he was queer, but he was never able to be in relationships due to his parent’s disdain for his sexuality. Soon the sun was setting and Eret stepped out of his room to remind George to get going to the library.__

__“Don’t leave your _boyfriend _waiting”, he teased.___ _

____Dream was already waiting for him inside the Library. George spotted him up on the second-floor ledge searching through the bookshelves. George slowly climbed the rickety stairs and walked through the maze of large shelves to Dream. He watched him from afar. Dream seemed tense as he picked through books, picking one up, skimming through it only to set it back down on the shelf. He noticed Georges approach and smiled brightly when their eyes met, the tension in his shoulder seemed to dissipate at Georges's arrival. George gave a small wave and stood next to Dream to sort through the books as well._ _ _ _

____“Is something wrong. You seem tense”, George inquires._ _ _ _

____Dream glances over to him, “I’m fine George. You don’t have to worry about”, Dream reassured._ _ _ _

____George wasn’t convinced but settled on changing the subject, “The Shakespeare quote you said yesterday”, George started, “what was that from?”_ _ _ _

____Dream chuckled, “Finally started to enjoy poetry, are we? It’s from Sonnet 29”._ _ _ _

____“Could you read it to me”, George asked._ _ _ _

____Dream nodded and lead George down the stairs and over to a table where Dream had set his stuff. He pulled the book of poems out of his bag and sat down next to George, flipping to the correct poem._ _ _ _

_____“When, in disgrace with fortune and men’s eyes,  
I all alone beweep my outcast state,  
And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries,  
And look upon myself and curse my fate,  
Wishing me like to one more rich in hope,  
Featured like him, like him with friends possessed,  
Desiring this man’s art and that man’s scope,  
With what I most enjoy contented least;  
Yet in these thoughts myself almost despising,  
Haply I think on thee, and then my state,  
(Like to the lark at break of day arising  
From sullen earth) sings hymns at heaven’s gate;  
For thy sweet love remembered such wealth brings  
That then I scorn to change my state with kings.” ____ _ _ _

______George smiled softly as Dreams voice trailed off when he reached the end of the poem, “It was sad, but I enjoyed it guess. What’s it about”._ _ _ _ _ _

______“It’s not sad idiot. It's a poem about the way that love comforts, soothes, and repairs the many injuries that one endures in life. It starts out bitter, then the speaker begins to reflect on the love he shares”, Dream explains slowly, droning on about the metaphors, “See the last two lines, the speaker is saying that he would rather love than be a king”._ _ _ _ _ _

______George glanced up at Dream, “Oh, I like it better now”, he chuckled._ _ _ _ _ _

______Dream laughed along with him, “You seem to enjoy the romance poems. Why is that”, he questioned?_ _ _ _ _ _

______George shrugged, “I’m not sure. Maybe it’s the way you read them. Just your voice puts so much meaning into each and every word.” He admitted timidly, “I could listen to you read them for eternity”._ _ _ _ _ _

______“I would read to you for as long as you’d like George”, Dream breathed._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Then I would savor every word” George admitted._ _ _ _ _ _

______Their faces were mere inches apart; George could feel Dream’s breathe on his face. He could count the individual lashes, and the freckles speckled amongst his cheeks._ _ _ _ _ _

______They quickly jumped apart as a loud slam sounded through out the library, bouncing off the wall. The librarian had accidently dropped a book on the floor; she quickly picked up the book and sent an apologetic look towards the two._ _ _ _ _ _

______They laughed quietly and moved away with shy glances. George picked up a book from Dream’s pile and turned it over in his hands to read the summary. He shrugged and opened the front cover to begin ready._ _ _ _ _ _

______The time passed quickly in the library, the sun setting slowly beneath the horizon and engulfing the city in darkness. The lamps emitted a gentle yellow light throughout the library, shining off the two figures still hunched over the tables. The smaller grasping a thick book in his hands and the other leaning back in his chair holding a notebook and scribbling vigorously inside of it._ _ _ _ _ _

______“We should probably leave George, its getting late”, Dream advised._ _ _ _ _ _

______George nodded and closed his book, placing a bookmark in between the pages, and stood up. Dream handed him his bag and pushed in his chair. They stopped at the front building like always to say their goodbyes for the night._ _ _ _ _ _

______George turned to Dream, “Dream, would you like to hang out again outside of the library”._ _ _ _ _ _

______Dream smiled softly, “Of course I would”, he said sincerely._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Eret has a show at the Harlem Casino on Friday. You can come with us”, George informed._ _ _ _ _ _

______“I would love that”, Dream shined brightly._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Really! That’s great”, he pulled out a pen form his bag, gesturing for Dream to give him his hand, “This is Eret’s address. Meet me there”, he questioned while he finished writing down the name of the street._ _ _ _ _ _

______Dream nodded and pulled his hand back to look at the letters written on his palm._ _ _ _ _ _

______“See you then”, George beamed, turning to walk down the street._ _ _ _ _ _

______Dream watched him go, the streetlights illuminating his figure as he disappeared. When George turned the corner and was out of sight, Dream’s face broke out into a wide smile and he turned on his heel to head back to his dorm, a giddy feeling settling low in his gut and a buzz of excitement animating his steps._ _ _ _ _ _

______Friday afternoon came quickly. Eret spent a large amount of time in his room getting ready for when they had to leave._ _ _ _ _ _

______“George could you get the dress in the living room for me”, Eret called._ _ _ _ _ _

______George got up from his bed and walked out into the living area; he spotted the dress laying across the sofa. It was a flapper style dress, cover in shining champagne crystals. He carefully picked the clothing piece up, not wanting to cause any harm to the beautiful dress, and he walked to Eret’s room. Eret sat at the vanity beside his bed. His reflection in the mirror staring back at George as he entered._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Eret you look lovely”, George gasped._ _ _ _ _ _

______His features were exaggerated by makeup, giving him a feminine look. He wore a black bobbed wig with a white head band crossing his forehead. A feathered boa and fan lay on the bed._ _ _ _ _ _

______Eret smiled brightly, “Thank you George”._ _ _ _ _ _

______A loud knock on the door sounded throughout the apartment as George handed the dress over to Eret, who gave him a knowing look as George walked off to answer door. He swung open the door and greeted Dream. _He looks handsome _George noted. Dream was dressed in a beige colored suit, a dark green tie accenting the outfit; his hair was pushed and gelled back. George moved aside to let Dream step inside.___ _ _ _ _ _

________“We’re about to leave. Eret and I have to get dressed first”, George informed._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Dream nodded and his eyes flitted around the apartment taking in the details. George motioned for his to take a seat while he changed. A moment later Eret stepped out of his room, his face breaking out into a grin when his eyes landed on Dream._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Hello”, he greeted, “I’m Eret. Dream I assume”._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Dream nodded and shaking Eret’s hand, “Yes that’s me. You look amazing Eret”, he complimented._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Eret laughed, “Thank you Dream.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________A creak caught their attention as George opened his door and stepped out into the living room, he subconsciously fiddled with fingers and cast his eyes to the floor._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________Wow. _Dream was breathless.__ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________It was a simple outfit. A dark grey suit, the blazer open and a blue bow tie. His hair was gelled over._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Eret gasped form the side, “George you look lovely”, he stepped up to examine the outfit, “I have an idea”, he said, quickly rushing off to his room._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________He was back a moment later with several makeup products in hand. He turned towards George, lifting a brow in question; George nodded and Eret got to work. He brushed blush delicately over his cheeks and applied some mascara to accentuate his eyelashes. To finish it off he took a bit of cherry red lipstick on the tip of his finger, smudging it over his lips. He stepped back to admire his work and nodded in approval, moving to the side to allow Dream a view._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________That I did always love ____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____________He _was gorgeous.__ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________I bring thee proof ____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________Breathtaking._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________An _angel _staring back him with big doe eyes.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________Heaven, if he may be so bold, personified._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“You”, he began breathlessly, “you look amazing George”._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________George let out a breath, tension leaving his shoulders. Eret looked between the too then moved towards the door._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“Shall we be going”, he questioned, “Don’t want to be late”._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________The two nodded and headed down the apartment stairs and down to Eret’s car. Eret walked to the driver side, opening the door to step in, and Dream rushed ahead of George. He took hold of the handle and yanked it open, motioning for George to get in._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________George giggled, “Such a gentleman”, he teased with a smirk._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“I try”, Dream laughed as he helped George inside before closing the door and walking over to the opposite side of the car._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________The drive to the casino was short. George gazed out the window at the building they parked nearby. It was large, bright lights illuminating the outside of the building. People of all ages and genders sauntered over to the build; some paired up and others alone. A few other drag queens could be seen stepping inside the extravagate doors to the casino._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________Inside the building was a large crowd of people. Men and women dressed in suits and dresses dancing in groups, a loud jazz band echoing through out the room. Photographers walked throughout the crowds snapping pictures of the extravagate event and reporters scribbled notes on pieces of paper._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________Eret turned towards them, “I have to go to the back rooms and prepare. I’ll see you two after my show. Have fun”, he advised, his tall heels clicking as he walked off into the crowd leaving them alone._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________George and Dream turned to each other, glancing almost awkwardly at the other. Dream looked towards the large open space of the dance floor where the jazz band was playing. Clusters of people were happily dancing to the upbeat music. Dream put out his hand for George, silently asking to dance. George hesitated for a moment before grasping Dreams hand and being pulled over to the crowd._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“Can you do the Charleston”, Dream asked eagerly, holding both of George’s hands in his own._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________George laughed to himself, “No Dream, I can’t Charleston.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“Well, we can’t have that. Everyone should know the Charleston; here I’ll teach you”, Dream supplied._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________He motioned for George to watch his feet as he twisted and stepped to the beat of the music. George tried to mimic his movements and Dream let out an elated cheer when he successfully did it._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“Let’s do it together”, Dream suggested._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________They started off slow, Dream moving back and George meeting him and moving forward, until they were laughing loudly and dancing together in sync, and George giggled as Dream spun him around. The band began playing a slower song and Dream halted their movement, raising their left hands and taking Georges right and placing in on Dreams shoulder. Dream rested his right hand on George’s waist and moved their bodies closer._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“Can you waltz”, Dream teased._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________George sighed with a chuckle, “Of course I can waltz Dream, but this isn’t really the music you waltz to”._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“I happen to think it’s the perfect music to waltz to George”, Dream replied with fake offence, “So will you waltz with me George”._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________George shook his head, “You’re an idiot, but fine”, he agreed._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________Dream smiled brightly and started to move them. George stepped around Dreams feet as they swayed and shifted in circles. Others cleared out of their way, some giving them strange looks and others smiling at them as they passed. George gave him a pleased look when their eyes met, and Dream replied with his own tender smile. The dim, yellow, lights of the casino brightened George’s features, his eyes flashing with the warmth of the backdrop. The gel in his hair already wearing out leaving the delicate strands to fall into his face again. A bright flush blanketed his cheek bones and the ruby red lipstick still sat applied to his lips as well as the mascara coating his lashes. He was an _angel _underneath the gentle twilight; heaven itself personified.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________Beautiful as a remembered single line of _perfect poetry _.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________________That till I loved ____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________________________I never lived-enough- ____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________The loud drum of the music slowly died down and George glanced past Dreams shoulder towards a clock hung on the wall._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________“It’s time for Eret’s performance”, George informed._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________Dream blinked a few times before responding, “Yeah of course, let’s go”._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________They slipped past the bodies huddled together around a wide-open area of floor. They struggled into a spot near the front, as to have a good view of their friends show. A few queens came out and preformed, the crowd cheering loudly for each one and photographs snapping pictures, but not a single one radiated the pure confidence Eret did when he came out. His makeup and outfit looking as nice as it did when they left the house. He motioned to the band to start playing. A familiar song George had heard a few times bounced through the casino. _Masculine Women! And Feminine Men _George noted as Eret began his show. He danced to the song; a bright smile gracing his lips as he gestured wildly and smirked at the crowd. Once the song was over the crowd clapped and cheered, a few whistles could be heard throughout, and Eret walked off to meet Dream and George.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________“You were amazing Eret”, Dream complimented when they met up and George nodded in agreement, sending his friend an enthusiastic smile._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________Eret gave a polite thank you and the three continued to mingle through the ball, getting a few more drinks and dancing some more; George and Dream even waltzing around the gathering again, drawing more attention to themselves but being far too focused on the other to notice or care._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____________________________I agree thee. ____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________By the end of the night the three were exhausted. The party had cleared out slightly as people slowly trickled out the doors to make their way home, and Eret suggested they leave as it was getting late. Dream and George wordlessly agreed and walked out to the car, a little tipsy from their intake. George slumped on Dream in the back seat, obviously tired from their night of fun and eager to get to bed._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“Dream you can stay over at the apartment if you would like. It’s quite late”, Eret informed._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________Dream nodded in agreement and gave a “thank you” to Eret for his kindness before looking over to the mop of brunet hair resting on his shoulder and laughing to himself._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________When they arrived at the apartment Dream pulled George from the car and pushed him towards the flight of stairs, George groaning loudly at having to walk up them and Dream giving him a teasing smile from the side. Several flights later and the three were nearing Eret’s apartment door; Eret quickly stopped in his tracks as they came upon the platform to his apartment door, and George bumped into his back, not expecting the sudden stop. He leaned up on his toes to peak around Eret and see the reason he had halted._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________He gasped quietly and pushed past Eret. At the front door to the apartment stood a middle-aged man and women dressing in expensive attire, clutching luggage tightly in their hands._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“Mother. Father. What are you doing here”, George questioned defensively, squaring his shoulders?_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“We came to visit you George. We just wanted to talk to you”, his mother spoke._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________He looked between the two. His own mother and father. The people who had kicked him out of their house when they knew he was queer._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“I do not wish to speak to you”, George growled._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“Son, please. A few moments of your time”, his father pleaded with a weak smile._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________George turned back to Eret for approval to let them inside, meeting Dreams worried eyes for a moment. When he received a nod from Eret he sighed tiredly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“Fine”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello sorry this is a little late school is a bitch.
> 
> Anyways HISTORY TIME!!
> 
> There was actually a drag ball held on February 26, 1926. Around 1500 people gathered at the Harlem Casino to attend the ball. Drag balls were a big thing around this time and helped a lot with acceptance of LGBTQ+ during the 20s; even a lot a straight people attended them because they were just a fun gathering where you would get to see new things.


	5. Life Has Immortality

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> George argues with his parents and he and Dream go out.

After laying their items down in the living area and Georges's parents filing into the room, Eret and Dream left to sit in front of the building to give George and his parents some privacy. Eret gave George a sympathetic gaze as he walked down the stairs, silently wishing for their conversation to go well.

George softly closed the door then turned to his parents, who were stood of to the side looking out of place and uncomfortable.

“What did you come to speak about”, George questioned, fixing a glare towards his parents.

“We just wanted to know how you were doing. We care about you George”, his mother replied reaching out to grasp his hands.

George pulled away with a scoff, “Care about me. Why would you kick me out of the house if you care about me”, George practically growled?

His mother huffed and crossed her arms over her expensive clothing, wrinkling the delicate fabric, “George, you have to understand your father and I just can’t support the lifestyle you’ve chosen”.

_Lifestyle. _George could feel the fire boiling up inside of his gut. How could his mother say such disrespectful ignorant things?__

__“It’s not a lifestyle or a choice mother”, he spat, “It’s _me _. Why can’t you accept that”?___ _

____His father stepped forward, he had been silent until now, “George you will not talk back to your mother”, he put his hand on George’s shoulder, “She’s right you know. _This _isn’t normal George”.___ _ _ _

______“I can’t believe this”, George muttered pushing away from his father to stand with his back to the both of them._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Who was that boy back there, the blond one”, his father inquired, malice laced through his words._ _ _ _ _ _

______“It was a friend”, George muttered._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Are you sure?”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Yes. I’m sure”, George spat harshly, turning around to meet his father’s fiery gaze._ _ _ _ _ _

______A small chuckle falling from his father’s lips, “How did I end up with a _fairy _son.”___ _ _ _ _ _

________George gaped, tears threatening to spill over his water line like a dam overflowing._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Nevertheless _that _is not what we came to speak to you about”, his mother interrupts. “You need to come home, George”.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________George sneered, “Return home? Why would I ever do that?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“George, please. You’re throwing your life away in this city. We spent a considerable amount of money to get you accepted into the university your sister is attending. The least you can do is come home and make something of yourself”, his mother begged._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Might I remind you that you were the ones to kick me out, and I’m happy here? I’ve experienced so much more here than I ever had before. Don’t you wish for me to be happy”, he looked expectantly between his parents._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Happiness will get you nowhere if you are not successful son”, his father replied simply._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“I’m not coming back with you”, George countered, “I am content here with Eret and Dream”._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“If you do not come back now then do not attempt to come back ever”, his father scowled, “When you realize you are wrong and wasting your life away in this god-awful city do not expect us to welcome you home”, he sneered, taking his mother’s hand and glaring on their way out._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________The slam of the door on their way out broke the dam. Waves of emotion flooded through his body; the tears finally dripping down his face. He sank to the floor and buried his face in his hands. Like a bottle had shattered all the hidden feelings he had kept holed up inside of him rose to the surface. He registered the door opening through his sobs and felt the hands pulling him up to sit on the sofa. He heard concerned voices on either side of him as he was pushed into the plush cushions but didn’t bother to comprehend the words and instead huddled in on himself and continued to let the tears fall._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Dream had sat down beside George on the couch, pulling his head into the crook of his neck and whispering reassuring words to the other. Eret and he had watched George’s parents fume out of the apartment and get in a nearby car and walked up to the apartment to find the distraught boy on the floor. He cradled the broken boy in his arms, tracing patterns into his clothed shoulders. His sobs were growing quieter and his shoulders slumped._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“I’m sorry”, George whispered into the fabric of Dream’s shirt._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“You did nothing wrong George”, he soothed, pulling back to wipe the glistening tears trailing down Georges's face. “Is there anything I can do to help”._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Can you read”, George quietly questioned._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Dream replied with an “Of course” and a nod then reached over to the bag he had laid down by the sofa. He pulled out the familiar poem book, he always seemed to have it with him, the pages looked worn and the front cover weathered from use. He quickly flipped through the book as George settled into his side more, until he landed on an undistinguishable page. George recognized the poem as “That I Did Always Love”, the first one Dream had ever read to him in the library._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“ _I argue thee, that love is life _"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ___

____________“ _And life hath immortality _”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ___

______________That gentle words of the poem falling like a waterfall from Dream’s lips soothed George’s worries. He rested his head on Dream’s shoulder and closed his eyes, soaking in the eloquent language and the pacifying tone of Dream’s voice._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________He read through the poem over and over again like a mantra. With every time Dream would start from the beginning George would sink a little deeper into his side and breathe a little slower. Eret had left the two alone, opting to step into his room and close the door; he left a glass of water on the coffee table for George. Dreams voice was no more than a whisper after several minutes of reading the poem, like a gentle wind shaking the leaves of the trees. They had both sunk into the couch cushions and Dream's voice slowly faded out as he read the last line of the poem for what felt like the millionth time. He laid the book down when he noticed George calm down._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Do you want to talk about”, Dream whispered into George’s hair._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________A sigh left his lips, “They wanted me to come back home”, he replied choosing to leave out their argument over George’s sexuality._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Are you?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Of course not. I wouldn’t want to leave you”, the tone was meant to be humorous the but as the words passed his lips, they sounded almost sincere and fragile._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“I wouldn’t want to leave you either Georgie”, Dream smiled._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________Searching for a change of subject, George reached for the book and flipped to the previous page, “I like this poem and the meaning of it”, George noted, “I remember when you read it to me for the first time”, he whispered._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“I enjoy it too”, Dream muttered, “It reminds me of you”._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________George sucked in a cautious breath, “How so?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________Dream placed his hand under George’s chin, trailing across his jaw and dragging his face up so that their eyes met._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Because with you, life has immortality.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Dream I- “, George's sentence was cut off when Eret exited his room._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________The two leaned away from each other and Dream dropped his hand from George’s face, both flushing rather furiously._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Sorry”, Eret apologized with a smirk crossing his features._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________He sat down on the chair across from the duo; he turned to George, asking him how he felt. Once Eret was satisfied by his reply, the three fell into comfortable conversation Dream and Eret working to cheer George up, but he stayed in a slump. The conversation had lulled, the group running out of topics to converse about, and they sat back and enjoyed the presence of the others. Eret moved to the kitchen to prepare himself a late-night snack; Dream leaned into George’s space._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Do you want to go to the library”, Dream inquired softly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________George nodded, “Yeah, that sounds nice.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________Dream pulled him up from the sofa and informed Eret that they were leaving, who waved them off telling them to not stay out too late, and George went on a search for his messenger bag to carry books back with them. After George had slung the coffee-colored bag over his shoulder, Dream linked their hands together dragging him out of the door with a “come on idiot”._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________Despite George willingly walking with him, Dream had never let go of his hand, and George made no move to separate them either, a silent agreement to stay this way until they got to the library. The night was chilly, gusts of wind rushing past them as they walked hand in hand down the street. The gentle glow of streetlights brightened Dream’s side profile when they passed them. His eyes glowing in the flame, only to grow dim again when they walked too far away from the light. George’s hair was tousled by the wind and he shivered in the cold; he stepped closer to Dream for warmth who smiled down at him. The street around them was serene. They were the only two out considering it was around one in the morning. It was a calming experience, almost like they were the only two left in the world._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________The old worn library on the street corner slowly came into view, the familiar sandy stone filled with cracks and unkempt vines crawling up the side of the building. It was a comforting sight, their haven. A place where they were alone and completely themselves._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________They entered the building, greeted with the same tables and rows of bookshelves. They set off together to browse the selection. They stood in between the maze of shelves towering over them, sharing book recommendations, and laughing at stupid jokes. Leaning into each other’s presence to see what the other was looking at._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________They finally selected their books and made their way back to a table, Dream laughing as George struggled to carry his bunch of books nearly tripping over the leg of a chair and dropping his collection. They dropped their books on a table sat by one of the window seats, picking one each and taking a seat together._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“This is nice”, George stated, snuggling into the cushion._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________The wind had slowed down and the street outside was still and inside the library was silent. The soft haze of the table lamps was the only light inside the building illuminating the figures sitting hunched over in the window seat._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“It is”, Dream concluded._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________They settled into a comfortable silence, burying their nosed in their respective books._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________Dream broke the silence after several minutes, “George”, he started, the boy in question lifting his head from the book and looking towards Dream, “Would you like to go somewhere, just the two of us”._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________George stared blankly for a moment, seemingly processing the words that hung in the air, before smiling brightly and replying, “Of course. When were you thinking?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________Dream let out a cautious breath, “Tomorrow, around four”, he suggested._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Sounds good. Where exactly are we going”, George questioned._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________Dream’s face broke out into a stupidly endearing smile, “It’s a surprise George”._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________George huffed out a “fine” and the two returned to their books, reading through several and describing the stories to each other. Eventually stumbling, slightly sleep deprived, back to Eret’s apartment. Haphazardly throwing themselves onto the couch and falling asleep beside one and another, George almost completely forgetting about the events with his parents mere hours ago._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________The brutal clanking of pots and pans coming from the kitchen as Eret made breakfast awoke the two boys; it was almost noon. George laying on one side of the couch, groggily waking up, and Dream on the other side doing the same, their legs tangled in the middle. Shoes and jackets left strew messily around the living room from when they had returned home. The two finally rolled off the sofa when Eret announced that the food was down. They spent the next few hours mulling around the apartment, listening to the radio, and reading the books they had packed back with them. 4 p.m. finally rolled around and Dream was practically bouncing off the walls, pushing George to get dressed while rushing around the apartment to get a few of his items. They said a quick goodbye to Eret, letting him know they would try to be back before midnight before Dream dragged him out of the house with Eret sending him a wink as he closed the door._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Why are you so excited”, George laughed while following Dream to Eret’s car; Dream had asked for barrow it for the day._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________Dream beamed, “I’m just excited. I know you’re going to enjoy the surprise”._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________The drive was quite short, and soon Dream was pulling off the side of the road in front of a café. The outside was made of brick, weathered and stained but welcoming. The windows were fogged over from the difference of temperature inside the shop than outside, and George sighed happily at the warmth seeping into his cold body. Just a few minutes outside was enough to leave George practically frozen. The inside was hospitable. Warm-toned walls coved in various artworks and a friendly atmosphere; few people were huddled around the small round tables littered around the place. A bar was set up with tall stools for patrons to sit at, but Dream led him to a table in one of the far tables._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“I know it might seem boring, but this isn’t the only activity I planned so don’t worry”, Dream reassured, looking slightly nervous._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________George reached for his hand resting on the table and interlocked their fingers, “Even if this is all we did, it would still be perfect Dream”._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________Dream exhaled softly, “Okay”, he smiled._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________One of the waiters came by their table, taking their order and running back to the bar where they prepared the drinks. The environment of the café was calming and bright, the gentle warm overhead lights cast a glowing haze over George’s features. His eyes shined like pools of honey under the golden light and the planes of his face were illuminated, allowing the few sheer freckles dotting his cheekbones to be visible; the character of the little shop seemed to fit him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________Soon the waiter was back with their beverages, and they sipped the steaming liquids while conversing over stories of their childhoods and humous tales. The number of people on the streets slowly trickled out as time went on and it got later. The two spent almost an hour laughing together in the small café before they finished drinks and Dream was dragging him out the door and back out to the car; it was about half pasted five. He rushed in front of George pulling open the door to the passenger side and doing a silly bow, George chuckled with a “why thank you sir” as he climbed inside._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Where to now”, George questioned._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________Dream slid into the other side, closing the door and starting the car, “I was thinking we walk around a park while we wait for the sun to set”, he suggested._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________George nodded in agreement and Dream drove to the nearest park. It was mostly abandoned, a few stray pedestrians making their way out of the cold. They walked along a path that weaved throughout the bare trees, all the leaves shredded up and crushed on the grass; the naked tree branches were almost ominous in the darkening sky. Both the boys had slipped on their coats as the cold settled in their skin and nipped at their noses. They strolled around, taking in the sights of the February scenery; their hands brushed when their arms swayed and their eyes met, a fiery blush heating their faces. The sun finally set low in the sky, the clouds beginning to glow in magnificent colors. The two set out back to the car but not before Dream scooped a handful of snow from one of the previous days and chased George around with it. After Dream surrendered his attack, he pulled George to the car, not wanting to miss the sunset._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________They seemed to drive for hours, George gazing out the window wondering if the buildings they passed would be the last surprise location. After a bit of George’s impatient whiny Dream finally pulled over. They were stopped in front of what looked to be an abandoned building. The stone and brick caving in and cobwebs strewn about the corners. Weeds and vines covering the sidewalk and walls of the building. George turned a questioning look towards Dream who only rolled his eyes and gripped Georges's forearm. He walked George around to the back of the building, the Hudson River flowing behind it. A dirt path led down to a small rickety-looking dock that sat floating in the river._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“That doesn’t look very safe”, George stated, stopping in his tracks._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Come on George. I used to come here all the time”, he sent George a pleading look._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________George folded and continued down the path, taking cautious light steps when he walked onto the dock. Surprisingly, it held his weight and felt quite sturdy under his feet. Dream sat down and George followed him. The sky was covered in brilliant colors, almost like a watercolor painting. Reds, oranges, pinks, and blues swirled in a beautiful mosaic. It was _breathtaking _.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“It’s beautiful is it not”, Dream questioned._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________George sighed, “It is”, he turned towards Dream, “Thank you for showing me”._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Dream reaching into his pant pocket digging around for a moment before pulling out a burlap sack and throwing it down.

“I brought this too if you wanted to smoke”, Dream informed.

George nodded and they both rolled their blunts, setting the paper ablaze with Dream’s lighter and inhaling the vapor. It trickled into the sky eventually before being dragged away by a soft gust of wind, mixing with the haze of clouds floating effortlessly above them. A group of birds flew overhead, and George trailed them, the blunt hanging loosely between his lips. His mind was growing hazy from the high, a gentle warmth oozing through his body. Dream was watching him from the side; he outlined the profile of George’s face. Gazing into his dark eyes, following the bridge of his nose, and tracing the curves of his lips. The birds finally flew out of view and George returned his gaze to Dream, giving him a dopey, stupid, smile. 

Dream continued to survey George’s face. He knew his features well; after spending almost every single night with George for the past week or two he had currently grown accustomed to it. He had studied George like one of the many complicated poems he had read, analyzing him. The specks of almost gold in his warm hazel eyes. The small barely-there freckles dotting his cheeks like constellations.

_He wanted to trace them. ___

__The way he coyly arches his eyebrow with a small smirk when he was confident or cocky. The way his way the corners of his lips quirked up in a smile at Dream’s dumb jokes and comments._ _

___His lips. Dream wanted to kiss them. ____ _

____“What are you staring at Dream”, his speech was slightly slowed, and he tipped his head to the side in question, the blunt halfway burnt up by now._ _ _ _

____“You”, Dream replied honestly, taking another drag from the roll._ _ _ _

____George scooted closer on the dock, the sky was darker down the bright colors present still but dimmer than before, “What about me”, he breathed._ _ _ _

____“Your face”, Dream paused, “ _Your lips _”, he leaned forward, smoke rolling past his teeth and gliding into the short space between them.___ _ _ _

______“Dream I think- “, George started, his eyes darting down to Dreams lips._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Me too”, Dream whispered. Their faces inches away and a sort of tension in the air._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Can I kiss you?”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Always.”_ _ _ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!! I hope you enjoyed this chapter; it came out later than I intended, but I got caught up with school. Sorry, this chapter is also kind of short. The next chapter will potentially be the last depending on how much I write in that chapter.
> 
> The poem "That I Did Always Love" wasn't supposed to be a big plot thing, to begin with, but I ended up just kind of running with it, so I hope you like it and it's not weird or confusing.
> 
> Kudos and comments appreciated!! Have a lovely day!


End file.
